The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : India’s policies being shaped by an ‘inward looking elite minority’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 27, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

India’s policies being shaped by an ‘inward looking elite minority’

Staff reporter

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Airing their views: (From left) Columnist Praful Bidwai, chairman of ISEC S.L. Rao, the former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission M.R. Srinivasan and editor of ‘Hosathu’ G. Ramakrishna at a seminar on ‘Whither India’s foreign policy?’ in Bangalore on Sunday.

Bangalore: The India-U.S. nuclear agreement became the inevitable topic of debate at a seminar organised by Karnataka State Peace and Solidarity Organisation here on Sunday. The seminar ‘Whither India’s foreign policy?’ was attended by economists, scientists, journalists and former diplomats.

“Let us not fool ourselves. This is not a deal between two equals,” said M.R. Srinivasan, former chairman, Atomic Energy Commission. “But even though the 123 deal is not ideal – either from the point of view of the U.S. or India – the agreement is the best we can get.”

Emphasising on the need for universal disarmament, Dr. Srinivasan made a case for nuclear energy. “We need non-carbon sources of energy, and nuclear energy can help reduce carbon emissions from becoming unsustainable.” Nuclear energy was not uneconomical, he added, citing the example of France where 75 per cent of electricity is derived from nuclear energy.

In defence of the nuclear deal, S.L. Rao, chairman, Institute for Social and Economic Change, said that the nuclear test of 1998 was one of the most important events to shape India, besides economic liberalisation in 1991. “Foreign policy must come from a position of strength,” he said, adding that the deal signifies “India becoming a member of the nuclear club, with arsenals that can be built up.”

Dr. Rao added that China was a threat, “and we need the support of the U.S. in this uni-polar world.”

Disagreeing with the previous speaker, Praful Bidwai, columnist and political commentator, said that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it had been “falsely” concluded that we are a uni-polar world. “There are other important centres of power emerging, which the U.S. is not able to address.”

Mr. Bidwai also took exception to the justification of foreign policy as reflecting “self-interest,” and said that India’s economic, foreign and security policies were being shaped by an “inward looking elite minority”, who “bandwagon” on the U.S. for every issue, whether it is terrorism, Palestine or Iraq. “The nuclear deal is a reflection of the disproportionate power that the elite exert in foreign policy, which is shaped in the crucible of neo-liberal policy.”

It was little surprise that President George Bush’s popularity ratings among the middle class of India were double that of his own country, he said.

Mr. Bidwai said he objected to the nuclear agreement on generic grounds as well – as it would allow India to “produce and stockpile 1,600 kg of plutonium annually, enough to make as many as 300 Nagasaki-type bombs a year.”

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